Are you a C-level health care executive looking for the perfect fit for an open position in your company and tired of constant turnover? Or maybe you hired the perfect candidate only to lose them less than a year later? If so, these interview tips will help you ask the right questions to ensure you not only select the best candidate for the job, but that you can retain them for the long term as well. We suggest you consider the following often over-looked advice when reviewing resumes of potential employees, so that you can ask the right questions in the interview.

Where do they live? Will the candidate have a long commute? Are they planning to re-locate for the job? If they will be driving a long distance, the commute can eventually become draining and you may lose them to burnout down the line. If, however, they are willing to re-locate in order to take the position, it may indicate they are serious about staying around for the long haul. Sample questions to ask: “It seems like you would have quite a drive to work, do you anticipate that being a problem for you?” “I noticed you would have to re-locate for this position. What is it about this job that makes the move worth it for you?”

Are they over-qualified? If the applicant has previously made a significantly higher amount of money, they are likely to take the job out of desperation. The problem with this is the ability to retain the employee. They will be gone as soon as they get a job at a higher rate of pay. Also, if their education level is significantly higher than what the listing asks for (a Master’s degree as opposed to a Bachelor’s,) they will become easily bored with the job and you will always be at risk of losing them to a more senior position. Still, there are times in a person’s life when they may look for decreased responsibility at work, perhaps after a child is born and they have more responsibility at home. In any event, it is worth asking about the reason they are seeking out this position. Sample questions to ask: “I noticed you have an advanced degree. Do you think this position will challenge you enough?” “At this point in your life, what do you look for in a work environment?”

Do they have an interest in the type of work you do? Even if this employee has a perfect track record, if they have never worked in your specific segment of the medical field before, their motivation is questionable. They are much more likely to stick around if they have a vested interest in your company’s purpose. If this is the first time they have worked in this part of the industry, ask why. Sample questions to ask: “What about working for this company interests you?” “I see that you have not worked in this segment of the industry before, what about it is attractive to you now?”

By keeping these 3 ideas in mind, your next new hire is much more likely to become your next to retire!

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Most people afflicted with diabetes have to monitor their blood glucose levels 24/7 and inject themselves with insulin as needed. The holy grail of diabetes research has been the development of some kind of artificial pancreas that would allow for the automatic monitoring and adjustment of blood glucose, in effect a cure for the disease.

According to Science Alert, a group of researchers at the University of North Carolina has come up with a smart insulin patch, a medical device that works in the same way as a pancreas but is attached to the skin.

The patch contains microneedles, about the width of a human eyelash, which penetrate to the diabetic’s bloodstream. These microneedles contain sensors that monitor the blood glucose levels. When the levels are too high, beta cells that have been embedded in the patch secrete insulin through the needles and into the blood vessels to bring them down.

The patch has had good results in mouse studies, automatically regulating blood glucose in mice that have type 1 diabetes. The researchers found that the patch was more accurate in delivering just the right amount of insulin necessary than monitoring blood glucose with the usual pin-prick blood test. Diabetics have to be careful about injecting too little or too much insulin for fear of causing complications. The patch does that task automatically over the space of about 10 hours before it has to be changed.

A number of years of human trials lie between now and the time when the smart insulin patch can be available in a clinical setting. But the technology holds out the promise of liberating people living with diabetes from the burden of constant monitoring and injecting.

Please contact us to learn about our expertise in recruiting for Leadership positions with emphasis in Medical Device, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Health Information Sciences including Clinical, Marketing, Sales, Quality, etc. We look forward to the opportunity to help you excel in the future!

Responding to US Homeland Security warning on cyber-attacks of medical devices, the FDA has issued a non-binding guidance document for manufacturers. The FDA acknowledges that device security is the joint responsibility of health care facilities, manufacturers, providers and patients.

Although manufacturers must focus on cyber security throughout design and development, the FDA recognizes that failure to maintain security will impact functionality, data integrity and connected devices and networks. Compromised devices put patient safety and well-being at risk.

Identify: Connected devices are more vulnerable than non-connected devices. Security deployment depends on how the device is employed, electronic interfaces, operating environment, vulnerabilities, likelihood of exploitation and patient risk if breach occurs. Security control design should not impede usability in an emergency.

Protect using these security functions:

Restrict access to trusted users using ID and password, biometrics and smart cards.

Set up automatic session time out appropriate to use.

Restrict privileges based on user or device roles and use multi-factor authenticating for administrators and service personnel.

Avoid using the same password for other devices, passwords that are hard to change or at risk for public disclosure.

Tamper proof with locks for devices and communication ports when possible.

Restrict software updates of the operating system to authenticated users and authenticated code.

Detect and Respond: Devise features that detect, recognize, log, time and react to security compromises. Instruct end-user on post-breach response.

Recover: Design features to protect critical device functions despite compromised security and make sure authorized used are experienced in retention and recovery of device configuration.

The FDA encourages manufacturers to provide the following information in their pre-market documentation:

FDA recommendations for pre-market documentation include listing the cyber security risks examined, listing and defending device security controls and tying controls to risks using a matrix format. Manufacturers should summarize how they will provide software updates for continuing safety and efficacy of the device during life cycle. They should document device integrity beginning to end of production and provide instructions and recommendations for anti-virus software and firewalls.

Onlookers of the medical device market are starting to notice many changes recently. The Food and Drug Administration had issued 20 pre-market approvals by the end of the summer, 43% expansion from a year ago.This validates the agencies purposeful push to speed medical devices to market. The legislature is relying on tax income of close to $30 billion through the following decade to help pay for administrations under the Affordable Care Act.

What’s more, despite the fact that its not clear why tax receipts are beneath projections, the federal government is seeking approaches to discover medical device producers who ought to have paid expenses, yet did not.

The biggest medical device market on the planet, the United States, are hoping to see a 7% or more increment in sales in the coming years. In 2013, the medical device business sector hit $127 billion, with orthopedics being the biggest portion, at around 21%.

The 2.3% excise tax on medical devices that started last year could raise as much as $29 billion for the federal government throughout the following 10 years. Producers will be unable to pass the expense on to their clients, yet may look to their suppliers to ease the burden.

In the mean time, its reasonable that the FDA’s approval isn’t everything. The confirmation that the agency depends on when choosing whether or not to sanction a device doesn’t coincide with information and other variables. For example, choices accessible to patients. In view of the discoveries from Avalere, a Washington-based consultancy firm, business experts are currently urging medical device creators to assemble and give more pertinent data, for example, clinical research trial data, that payers can assess when settling on their choices.

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